The Road to Recovery
by Senka Hitomi
Summary: When a normal mission results in a crippling injury, Tenten is forced to deal with the frustration of a slow recovery... and teammates who are far too determined to help her back to health.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.

* * *

Time seemed to expand and collapse simultaneously in the instant between the point at which Tenten heard the bone snap and the point at which the pain registered. Fortunately, that instant gave her just enough time to bite back the cry of pain that threatened to escape her mouth as she watched the leg move dangerously out of joint, cracking under the force of her opponent's blow.

The mission had started out simply enough: just deliver a merchant safely to a neighboring village, keep him safe from bandits and then return to Konoha. In theory.

In reality, however, everything had spiraled rapidly downward from the moment they saw the merchant safely to his destination. Lee had gotten lost, which meant Tenten and Neji had spent hours trying to track him down, only to find that he had apparently been under the impression that he was taking a shortcut, and that his teammates had been following him the entire time. This had, in turn, made Neji even more irritable than usual; consequently, his focus on the mission had wavered, leading them into the situation in which they now found themselves. Tenten, exhausted from the extra travel and Lee's constant apologetic chatter, had fallen asleep on watch. A group of rogue shinobi had seized the opportunity, and the melee that ensued was, as was to be expected, chaos.

Tenten had struggled through combat, only half-awake and not at all equipped to fight three opponents at once. She had made careless mistakes, one of which had resulted in the fractured –if not truly broken—leg that throbbed red-hot with pain and clung like a dead tree trunk to the ground.

Two of her original opponents now lay lifeless on the ground, but the third still advanced, a hulk of a man with the raw strength of a bear. He leered down at her, a mace hanging like a child's toy from his hands. Tenten tried in vain to get away, but her leg was too much dead weight. She scrambled for something, _anything_, within reach, her hand finally closing around a kunai. She had one shot to get this right as the rogue shinobi edged closer…

He was mere inches away from her when her hand whipped out and a silver blur flew toward its mark, lodging securely in his throat. The man gurgled, and his eyes went wide; he was dead before he even hit the ground.

Tenten reveled for a moment in the small triumph, but a dreadful realization gave her pause. She watched as the man staggered and stumbled, his monstrous form pulled rapidly to the ground. Tenten did her best to scoot away, but it was useless; the leg wouldn't budge and she could only drag it a few centimeters without it exploding into white-hot pain.

She watched in silent horror as he fell, the entirety of his weight crashing onto her unresponsive leg.

This time, she couldn't suppress the scream.

Farther off in the clearing, both of her teammates turned at the sound, instantly on alert. Lee, as if the scream had given him an extra shot of adrenaline, finished off the last of his opponents with a massive Leaf Hurricane and Neji, who had been attempting to hold off the majority of the enemy combatants, sent three of them flying into the trees with a near-perfect Kaiten. There was a sickening simultaneous crunch, and then silence.

Tenten had buried her head in her hands, so she only heard their footsteps as they approached. Lee was the first to reach her, and he immediately sprang into action, attempting to displace the body of the shinobi that covered Tenten's leg.

A fresh wave of pain spiraled up her leg, and Tenten bit her lip so hard it bled, just to keep from screaming.

"Lee." A solid hand fell on her shoulder, and Lee stopped in his tracks. Tenten glanced up to see Neji crouched beside her. She had never been so glad for his intervention.

"Don't move him until we know the extent of the damage." Neji's Byakugan sprang to life, and he examined the leg carefully. The smallest of frowns marred his smooth features, and he stared at the injury for a moment longer before he spoke.

"Lift him from the side, Lee." He gestured to the man's broad shoulders. "That should lessen the damage incurred by removing him. Be careful."

Almost as an afterthought, he turned to Tenten. "This will be painful."

Tenten nodded, biting down harder on her lip. Rivulets of blood trickled down her chin, but she didn't care; at least it gave her something else to concentrate on.

Painful was not the word to describe having the shinobi lifted from her shattered leg. Excruciating might have been more apt; she couldn't suppress the tiniest of whimpers as they finally uncovered her injury.

It was a gruesome sight, and she had to turn her head away from the bruises and blood, still slightly in denial that the deformed object she had just seen was actually her leg.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Those were the last words that managed to escape her mouth before another white wall of pain enveloped her and faded into blackness.

* * *

Tenten blinked into wakefulness; it was still light outside, and she no longer sat in a pool of her own blood, though her clothes remained caked with the remnants of the battle. Lee sat a few yards away, watching her with concern. When he noticed that she was awake, he immediately sprang to her side, eyes wide.

"My dearest teammate! Are you alright? Can you feel your leg? Is there anything I can do to ease your pain? Just believe in the healing power of youth and you will—mmph."

Tenten clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Say one more thing and _you're_ going to need the healing power of youth." She croaked.

Lee nodded sheepishly.

Tenten sunk into the makeshift pallet they had apparently constructed. Though he was far too enthusiastic, she had to admit Lee's questions did have merit. She moved her right leg – the working one – and it seemed to be fine. When she tried the other, however, there was no response, just a strange tingling sensation from underneath the bandages.

"You should not be trying to move that." A calm voice from behind her noted with slight irritation, and Tenten looked behind her to see Neji approaching. He leaned down next to her bandaged leg, checking to see that the bindings still held.

"We've done what we can, but anything further is beyond my expertise. We need to get you back to Konoha immediately."

"Then let's go." Contrary to the orders he had just given her, Tenten sat up and began to try to stand. Though both of her teammates immediately sprang to help her, she moved too quickly and was on her feet before they could do anything about it.

She attempted to step forward with the left leg, and instantly realized her mistake. The numb feeling reverted to a shooting pain and it crumpled beneath her, sending her sprawling toward the ground.

A strong pair of arms looped around her torso, keeping her from collapsing completely.

"I told you not to move it. I assumed you understood that standing on it was out of the question as well."

Tenten felt slightly dizzy, and she had a feeling it was more than just the pain. Lowering herself to the ground, she slowly disentangled herself from Neji's steadying grip.

"I'm fine."

"Tenten." Even Lee looked at her skeptically, and she frowned.

"Well, we have to move somehow!"

Lee and Neji exchanged glances, then looked back at her. The fact that Neji and Lee were in agreement about anything –without her interference— was more than a little disconcerting and Tenten tried to move away from them as quickly as she could, but with a crippled leg, she was no match.

Before she could even protest, the two boys had succeeded in lifting her onto Neji's back. She had no choice but to wrap her arms snugly around his neck, lest she go tumbling backwards into the dirt again.

Lee gathered up the rest of their belongings, and Neji turned his head to look at her.

"Are you prepared?"

Tenten grimaced. "As I'll ever be."

This was going to be a long trip home…

* * *

_A/N: Just a bit of an idea I've been tossing around in my head for a while. Will be a multi-chapter (in case that wasn't obvious), but it will probably be fairly short, nowhere near the length of my others. Hope you all enjoy!_


	2. Chapter 2

Their progress over the next few days was decidedly slow, but Tenten was barely aware of any of it. She slipped in and out of consciousness, the landscapes blending into a blur of green and brown as they passed. Her brow burned with fever; occasionally, a cool hand passed over it, only to be quickly removed and followed by a concerned murmur that sounded vaguely familiar.

In the hazy dreams of her half-sleep, her worst memories played out like a macabre film reel: losing the match at the Chuunin exams; listening to Gai describe Tsunade's grim prognosis of Lee's condition; the day that Neji was brought back from the mission to rescue Sasuke; the crushing pressure of being completely surrounded by a sphere of water, and choking into blackness again. Those terrors were alternated with brief dreams of light and warmth, of gentle voices whispering placations in a voice that she couldn't really understand.

At some point, she regained enough consciousness to be somewhat cognizant of her surroundings. They had apparently stopped to rest, and she woke to find the bandages being carefully removed from her leg. Neji handed the discarded wrappings off to Lee, who took them with noticeable aversion and carried them away –where, Tenten didn't know, nor was she overly concerned with finding out. What little rational thought had been spared by the break in the fever told her to examine the leg, but she instantly regretted it. The bruises, though fading slightly, were still prominent enough to thoroughly discolor the leg; any areas not consumed by the unsightly wounds looked cadaverous.

Tenten's tongue suddenly felt very heavy, and she had to swallow several times to remind her stomach that its contents should be going down, not up.

Neji barely touched the leg, but it was enough to make Tenten start. Neji, who had apparently been so fixated on the injury that he hadn't noticed that she was awake, looked markedly surprised.

"You're… awake." He attempted to blink back his shock and failed.

"How…" The word came out as a raspy choke, something more akin to the screech of a crow than any comprehensible form of human speech. She tried again. "How long has it been?"

The second attempt didn't turn out much better than the first, but Neji at least seemed to understand it.

"Since you were last conscious?" He grimaced, and she could see there was something that he was keeping from her, but her head was swimming, and it would have taken too much effort to try to extract the information from him. "Approximately a day and a half."

"We are traveling as fast as possible." He murmured, seemingly as an afterthought, and a flicker of something unrecognizable flashed across his face for just a moment. Tenten was seized by a pang of guilt, one that was quickly overrun by a dizzy spell.

She didn't feel her head hit the ground, but she was aware of the sudden rush of air as both of her teammates suddenly appeared, hovering above her. Their faces blurred around the edges, fading like ghosts, and she giggled absurdly as their features bulged and shrank in her gyrating field of vision.

The last thing she saw was a narrowing pair of pearly lavender eyes, and then the void swallowed her again.

* * *

The Fifth Hokage was slumped over her desk in a quasi-drunken stupor when someone barged in, causing papers to fly across the room and making such a racket that Tsunade had no choice but to remove her aching head from its resting place. Without regard to her mentor's current state, Shizune threw open the curtains, casting the entire room in relentless morning sunlight.

Tsunade groaned.

"There had better be a damned good reason for this."

Shizune slammed a mission file down on the Hokage's desk. Even amidst the torrent of paperwork that passed across her desk every day, Tsunade instantly recognized the folder. She sat up straighter in her chair.

Shizune glanced at the file meaningfully, gesturing to the door.

"They're back."

Tsunade jumped to her feet without another word of protest. She was almost out the door when Shizune caught her shoulder.

"And…"

Tsunade paused, turning to glare at her apprentice expectantly.

"Well?"

Shizune grimaced, her pale face contorted with worry lines.

"You're not going to be happy about this."

* * *

Tsunade stormed into the hospital, scattering medics and attendants as she went. She caught sight of Sakura Haruno talking to one of the newer nurses, but she had no time to stop. Upon seeing her mentor, the pink-haired girl excused herself quickly and ran after the raging tornado that was the Fifth Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura called after her breathlessly, finally managing to fall in step beside her. "Have you heard—?"

"Why do you think I'm here?" Tsunade snapped, cutting her off. She didn't miss the look of irritation that crossed Sakura's face.

"They should be arriving any minute from what I've heard. We've already prepared rooms for all three, because we don't know the extent of their conditions. The reports, however, suggest that at least one of them is…" Sakura hesitated. "… incapacitated."

Tsunade frowned. If that was the case, then Shizune had been right on at least one count. She was not going to be happy about this.

This should have been a routine mission, the kind of mission that the village got handed at least once a month. It was one that, in all honesty, should have been given to lower-level Chuunin rather than two Chuunin and a Jounin, but Tsunade had been short-handed at the time and, feeling oddly benevolent, had decided to hand it over to Team Gai, thinking it would be a break for the three young shinobi, who had been practically run ragged lately.

When they were a day late on their arrival, she didn't think too much of it.

When a week passed without word, she had begun to worry.

And now, ten days past the expected end date of their mission, the team had somehow stumbled back to Konoha.

As it stood at the moment, Tsunade hoped they had a _very _good explanation.

"And the other two?"

"Seem to be able to walk, at least, but one can assume they're all severely exhausted." Sakura continued in her clear, clinical voice to discuss the possibilities of what they might be dealing with, but Tsunade's thoughts were somewhere else, picturing another mission that had ended unexpectedly. The brief memory of pale hair and warm blood flowing between her fingers made her shudder.

No, she had to concentrate.

They turned a corner and Tsunade barely had time to stop in order to keep herself from running straight into three bedraggled figures.

Or, rather, she realized on closer inspection, two bedraggled figures, and one limp, ashen body that was suspended between the two.

The normally immaculate Neji Hyuuga was disheveled, and noticeably thinner. His visage was smeared with blood and dirt; patches of his once-white uniform were now a shade of rusty copper. His eyes had a dull sheen to them, and the veins along his forehead were far too prominent. They pulsed unnaturally, as though he'd been using the Byakugan constantly.

Rock Lee looked no better. The shinobi, who typically had boundless reserves of energy, was haggard, and he appeared to be having trouble standing. He limped as the group progressed down the hall, and Tsunade noted with concern that it was the leg she had once operated on. Aggravating the injury again could have dangerous results.

But by far, the worst-looking of the group was the girl hanging like a ragdoll from the shoulders of her teammates. Her left leg, wrapped in several layers of bandages and secured in a makeshift splint, dangled at an unnatural angle from her body. Her skin was ghostly pale, occasionally broken by patches of red that flamed from her cheeks and forehead. A thin coating of sweat covered every visible part of her body. If Tsunade hadn't detected the faintest movement of air through her lungs, she would have sworn the two boys were carrying a corpse.

"Do not think," she began, "that this excuses you from the extensive explanation that you will be giving me about this." She gestured to the ghastly sight in front of her. "But it seems we have more pressing matters.

"Sakura, take care of Lee and Neji. I…" Tsunade gave the unconscious weapons mistress an appraising look. This would not be simple. "…will take care of Tenten."

She watched as the assisting medics carried Tenten away, saw the feeble protests of her teammates, who were too fatigued to even put up a substantial fight.

Yes. A _very _good explanation was in order.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter is proof that writer's block can, in fact, be conquered, given the right selection of music._

_- Senka_


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness had crept into the room, and when Tenten opened her eyes, she struggled to focus on the dim, fuzzy shapes in the corners of the room. Only a sliver of light broke through the window, the rest obscured by a pair of heavy curtains – that much she could discern from the slight draft that made them wave gently against the glass pane.

She reached a hand out to grasp the bar that rose along the side of her bed.

_That_ wasn't normally there, she noted with some concern. Where _was_ she? The memories were coming back in patches at best, and even then they were distorted, like fever dreams rather than true memories. For all she knew, that really could be the case.

She tried to use the bar to raise herself to a sitting position, but attempting the action quickly reintroduced her to some of the memories that had been eluding her. Trying to move her left leg was like pulling on a tree stump, and it only caused the muscles in her thigh to cramp painfully. She expected pain in the lower part of her leg as well, but strangely none came.

The realization made her feel like she had swallowed a block of ice, one that now sat at the pit of her stomach, immovable.

Peeling back the thin sheet that covered her, she craned her neck to get a closer look at the leg. Gone were the loose, bloodstained bandages, replaced by a stiff cast. Her foot peeked out of the boot, pale even against the backdrop of the white sheet. She could see dark discoloration near where the cast ended, though it was hard to tell whether that was more bruising or just shadows. She tried to wiggle her toes, but they didn't move.

The ice in her stomach expanded.

She was recalling more and more as the languid grip of sleep slowly loosed its hold on her: her team's desperate fight against the unexpected setback of the rogue shinobi; the way her leg had shattered under the weight of her considerably larger opponent; the unsteady grip she'd held on consciousness over the remaining days as her teammates bore her back to the village…

Tenten snapped up so fast it made her dizzy, and she fought to quell an outburst at the pain that shot through the upper part of her leg. Her teammates! How could she have forgotten for even an instant?

They must have been exhausted after that journey, and she had no idea what kind of injuries they might have incurred along the way. Had she not been anchored down by the deadweight of her leg, she would have set out to find them immediately, but as it was, she was rather stuck. She'd regained enough of her faculties to recognize that she was in Konoha's hospital, which likely meant that Neji and Lee were as well. That thought only made her worry more. What if something had happened to one of them that she, in her addled state, hadn't been aware of?

Resolve getting the better of her, she drew on all of her strength to roll over on her side and try to drag herself off the hospital bed. Tears of frustration and agony streamed down her cheeks, but she persisted, determined to find her teammates.

Unfortunately, luck seemed not to be on her side. She felt herself falling before she truly knew what was happening; her brain had not quite processed the sensation when she hit the ground, hard – she could practically feel the bruises rising under the skin of her upper arm. Her cast came tumbling down after her, and it fell with a resounding thump, practically shaking the entire expanse of the floor.

"AUGH!" The pain returned tenfold and the tears gushed from her eyes in torrents. She tried to keep the cries quiet, but her mouth simply wouldn't comply with her thoughts. The wails issued from her mouth in an unending stream, half scream, half sob.

It was a few moments before she heard footfalls outside in the hallway, and still more before she realized that someone was actually kneeling next to her, attempting to speak to her. She tried to silence herself enough to hear what the medic was saying, but the pain still came in waves, and she only half understood what the girl was saying.

"Tenten, can you hear me?"

Somehow, Tenten managed a discernible nod.

"Can you tell me how this happened?"

She had managed to quiet herself, but the pain still hadn't been completely quelled; she curled into a ball on the tile, shaking her head.

"Oh, Tsunade-sama is not going to be happy about this…" She heard the girl mutter, and the statement struck Tenten as odd, even distracted as she was. Tsunade? She was perhaps the most skilled medic-nin in all the nations, but why would she be involved in something as simple as a broken leg?

Tenten tried to make sense of it, but she found her thoughts were beginning to run together, and her vision clouded. She was vaguely aware of a cold sensation in her leg, but even that faded and melted into oblivion.

* * *

Neji woke to the sound of a cacophonous thump. He jumped from the bed, his entire body rigid and alert, despite the confinement of bandages.

What was that?

He didn't have to wait long for an answer to his silent query.

A scream that made his hair stand on echoed down the hallway from, if he judged correctly, the critical patient recovery ward. The sound left him cold, not simply because of the pure, unbridled pain present in the cry, but because he knew exactly to whom that voice belonged.

He stumbled toward the door, cursing with every step. In the darkness, he could barely see, a fact not helped by the fact that his eyes were still recovering from the mission. In an effort to get home as quickly as possible, he'd overused his Byakugan, straining his eyes to a dangerous extent. Sakura had examined them upon his arrival, and she had reassured him that they would be back to peak performance in a matter of days, but until then, he was to do as little as possible to hinder his recovery, which included using the Byakugan to strengthen his night vision. As it was, he made it to the door with no small effort.

The corridor was better lit, and he only had to follow the direction from which the screams issued to find the room. A few hallways over from his own recovery room, he came to a room with several medics crowded in the doorway. The screams had been reduced to a piteous wail, and he heard the murmur of soft voices. He wished to simply push through the gaggle of medics to see what had happened, but his better judgment kept him waiting just outside.

A familiar pink head passed through the door way moments later, and Neji caught her shoulder. At first she looked merely surprised to see him, but then her eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in recovery!" Neji noted with passing amusement that her desire to drag him back from whence he'd come was only thinly veiled by her professionalism.

"What happened? Is she alright?" He tried to keep his voice level, but even so, a hint of panic seeped through his monotone.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "It seems—"

"Sakura-san!" A familiar, overly-loud voice echoed down the hallway and Sakura groaned audibly.

"Really?"

"Sakura-san!" Lee came to a quick stop in front of them, barely managing to keep from crashing into the pink-haired medic. "Was that our beloved flower I heard wailing? What has happened?"

Sakura glanced between the pair of them, Neji with arms crossed, waiting expectantly, and Lee, his enormous eyes wide with unconcealed worry. She scowled.

"The pair of you need to get _back _to your rooms. If I have one more patient that further injures themselves, Tsunade-sama is going to have my head!"

A wall of grey passed over Neji's vision for a moment, but he blinked it away. Recovering or not, he wasn't leaving until he found out what was wrong with his teammate.

Apparently, Lee had the same thought. Rather than waiting for an answer, he sprang into action, pushing past the medics to enter the room. They tried to hold him back, and Sakura rushed after him, muttering curses, but Lee, even with a bandaged leg, proved too much for any of them and emerged on the other side, rushing to Tenten's side.

Seeing opportunity in the chaos, Neji followed.

Tenten was ghostly pale and her eyes were clenched shut, not in sleep, but rather as though she were keeping an enormous amount of pain at bay.

Lee reached out a tentative hand to touch her arm.

"Tenten?"

She whimpered weakly in response, but her hand reached out to find his, clutching it in a death grip.

Sakura looked utterly bewildered and she gestured to Lee, and back toward the door.

"You _cannot _be in here. I—"

"Sakura-san," Lee explained kindly, "we cannot leave our beloved teammate in this state. Do what you must to treat her; we shall remain here."

Sakura's mouth gaped open, and she struggled for words, looking to Neji for possible support.

Neji simply walked around to Tenten's other side and claimed the chair, pulling it closer to bed. Her other hand stretched out, and he tentatively offered his own. Tenten squeezed it gently, if only to reaffirm that she was, in fact, still alive.

"We will stay." He stated simply.

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh, and the medics behind her looked to be at a loss.

"Fine. I'll be back in a moment. If anything changes, notify one of us."

They trailed out of the room, Sakura last, with one last glance at the two young men standing vigil at their teammate's bedside.

* * *

_A/N: I can't believe__ all the reviews/favs/alerts I've gotten! More than I ever expected for just the first two chapters of the story, I assure you. Leave your comments and reviews if you'd be so kind, and thanks for reading!_

_- Senka_


	4. Chapter 4

"I'd imagine the two of you have a fascinating story to tell me." The Hokage propped her chin on her folded hands as she leaned forward to glance between the two young men seated across the desk from her.

The two could not be more different –the boisterous and driven Lee, the quiet and serious Neji— occasionally Tsunade had to wonder how they even managed to get along at all. The bond of Team Gai was unique, that much was certain.

Lee, as usual, was the first to speak up. He launched into a jumbled explanation, punctuated by exclamations of youth and references to "Team Gai's lovely flower" or "delicate blossom", by which Tsunade could only assume he meant their absent team member. Neji just regarded him with an expression of barely contained patience, hidden behind layers of carefully practiced stoicism.

Tsunade held up a hand, which it took Lee several moments to notice, and even then he didn't stop immediately. It was only when she cleared her throat rather severely that his chatter slowly drew to a halt.

"I appreciate your attempt to explain, Lee, but I barely understood any of that."

The young man looked slightly crestfallen, but the expression was quickly replaced with one of renewed enthusiasm.

"Perhaps my youthful rival Neji can better explain the situation, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade smiled slightly, struggling to contain a chuckle as she turned her gaze to Neji, quietly relieved that Lee had decided to turn the task over to his more straightforward teammate.

"Perhaps so."

Neji regarded her seriously.

"The mission had been proceeding as intended. We delivered Ryuushi-san to his destination and were planning to return to Konoha as fast as safe travel permitted. We encountered a slight… _difficulty_ in navigation, however, which delayed us—"

Tsunade inferred from the slight change in his inflection that the "difficulty" had not been of his doing, and Lee's guilty look confirmed it, but she chose not to press the issue.

"—enough that when we came across one of the campsites we had selected along the route, we found ourselves walking into an ambush."

"An ambush by whom?" Tsunade interrupted, and Neji's eyes flickered with some emotion she could not identify.

"We do not know. They had no affiliation that we were able to recognize. The best we could determine was that they were perhaps rogue shinobi from a village that was destroyed by the war."

Tsunade frowned, not because she doubted him, but rather because she had all ideas that the young Hyuuga's assessment was quite correct. Following the devastation of the Shinobi World War, many villages had been forced to recover from utter decimation. The Five Nations were doing all they could to help those who were struggling, but they had their own wounds to heal as well. More and more recently, they had seen these bands of rogues popping up across the countryside, intent on taking their revenge on the shinobi of the Five Nations, blaming them for the misfortunes of their villages.

"And so you were forced into combat." She surmised.

Neji gave a succinct nod.

"We had no choice."

"And then the injury occurred?"

At that, Lee looked down, his face a mask of pain, and even Neji's passive countenance faltered for just an instant with a trace of what looked like anger or perhaps even guilt.

"Yes." He said more quietly. "We were outnumbered to a large extent. Each of us fought multiple opponents, outside of a formation. It was… an error in judgment, one for which I take full responsibility."

"I, too, take responsibility!" Lee interjected fiercely. "If I had not gotten us lost, our youthful blossom might not—"

Tsunade cut them both off. "_Regardless_, there is no use in dwelling on it. If you would, continue?"

Neji cleared his throat and Tsunade saw that Lee was practically on the verge of tears. She suppressed a sigh, wondering not for the first time how it was that the boy survived in the life of a shinobi.

"When we had disposed of our attackers, we did the best we could to dress the wound and make our way back to the village," Neji continued. "but our progress was considerably slowed in caring for the injury, and it took us longer than we anticipated."

That much Tsunade had inferred from the medical report given to her by Sakura. Both of the young men had problems consistent with injuries induced by strain, and the worsening of Tenten's injury had occurred, despite all their good intentions, from the fact that no trained medic had been able to attend to it immediately following the break.

Tsunade nodded to herself and stood up to pace behind her desk. Lee's gaze followed her, waiting expectantly, but Neji's remained fixed on a point in the distance.

It was interesting, she thought. Different as the two might be, she knew both of their thoughts rested in the same place. Sakura had already informed her of the previous night's small debacle, which had culminated in the young medic just giving up entirely on the idea of removing the two of them from their teammate's bedside. It was well enough that she hadn't been able to anyway, Tsunade considered. Better that the team be together.

"Well, as I'm sure you are both aware, the extent of your teammate's injuries are quite severe, but not impossible to recover from. She will need several weeks, if not months, of therapy to restore herself to the level at which I will deem her fit for missions. I will not be assigning missions to either of you for the next week, while you make your own recoveries."

Lee's mouth opened, but she turned swiftly and glared him down. His jaw quickly clamped shut.

"And I will take no protests on that front. I may change my mind if I see fit, but that is my decision, and mine alone."

She gave them a slight smile.

"That will be all. Go and visit her now."

Lee was practically out the door before the words left her mouth. Neji stood and half-bowed.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade frowned when he turned his back and walked out of the office, closing the door quietly behind him. Lee, she was sure, would make a full recovery, and despite his dramatics, would be back to his usual exuberant self as soon as Tenten was out of the hospital and on her way back to health. Neji, however… she had seen a hesitance in his manner that worried her. She made a note to herself to monitor his behavior over the next few weeks, in case any small signs of lingering guilt surfaced.

The last thing she needed was another Jounin with a guilt complex.

* * *

Lee was already a good ways down the road by the time Neji reached the bottom of the stairs leading away from the Hokage's office, a fact that made him slightly relieved.

Since this morning, his thoughts hadn't been coming together with the fluidity to which he'd become so accustomed, and he found it threw his whole mental process out of balance. He had woken still seated in the armchair at Tenten's bedside, his left hand completely numb where it was clenched in her grip. There had then been several tedious and uncomfortable minutes of trying to disentangle his hand from hers without waking her; fortunately, Lee had already gone to find breakfast, leaving Neji to struggle alone. For some unfathomable reason, he had found himself to be incredibly flushed and more than a little flustered, so that by the time he finally left the room, his desire to find a quiet place to meditate and re-center himself was almost overwhelming.

Rationally, he knew the source of this strange sensation of disarray. It was only logical that he should worry about his teammate, but to this extent? It was practically unthinkable for someone like Neji.

Perhaps, he considered, it was the dreams that augmented the feeling. Neji prided himself on having, for the most part, developed a mastery over those things that caused him fear. He had not experienced nightmares since he was a young child, but recently, old terrors had resurfaced in his dreams, leaving him restless and with a vague feeling of constant discomfort.

All the dreams, however, had one similarity: every single one culminated in not some phantom terror, but a very real memory and sensation. In each nightmare, he found himself rushing towards the village, carrying a barely conscious body that seemed to get paler and more deathlike with each passing moment. Fear blossomed like a gaping wound through his chest, and he couldn't shake it, no matter how hard he tried. As the memory progressed, his vision would fade, and he could feel the panic rising, as he realized that he couldn't rely on his sight to provide him with those faint signs that life still existed in the motionless body of his teammate.

He shook away the thought. It had carried him all the way back to the hospital, which gave him no more time to consider his strange reactions.

Lee was already standing outside the room, seemingly arguing with an insistent attendant.

"I must see our youthful flower!"

"Sir, I told you, she's being examined by the medic. I cannot permit her to see you now."

"But—" Lee's protest was stopped short by Neji's arrival. Lee looked to him for help, gesturing to the attendant, who was growing increasingly annoyed, but Neji just shook his head.

"Later."

"But—"

"Later, Lee."

Lee's shoulders slumped.

"Alright."

The attendant looked more than a little relieved as the two walked back down the hallway and out into the stark light of the day.

Truth be told, Neji was as eager as Lee to simply ignore the attendant and see Tenten anyway, but he hadn't lost complete control of his mental faculties yet.

They could wait, however painful it might be in the interim.

* * *

_A/N: Hey, look, Senka hasn't fallen off the face of the planet! :D Just fallen into the swirling vortex that is reality, which means job, school and all the lovely things that come with being responsible. Yay...?_

_Anywho. Sorry if this chapter is absolutely unintelligible. __My head has been a swirling vortex of stress and blank spaces recently, and I so desperately wanted to get this chapter out, because I've really missed writing.__ I know it's also kind of lacking in Tenten, but I wanted to shift the focus away from her while I'm setting up other things for future chapters. _

_And finally: You all (by which I am referring to you, dear readers) are utterly fabulous. I've gotten such a great response just from the first few chapters and I am so incredibly flattered by the compliments about my writing and this story. If I've not responded to your review personally, I apologize profusely. I will make my best attempt to do so now that my life is settling back into some sense of normalcy. Anyway, if I haven't, know that your reviews are very much appreciated, and I would love to hear your continuing thoughts on the story. Thank you and, as always, happy reading!_

_- Senka Hitomi_

_P.S. Okay, I know I said that was going to be the final thing, but I forgot: I think I might be in the market for a beta sometime in the near future. Considering the gaps in my writing and publishing that have recently occurred and the added stress of life in general, I really need someone other than myself to proofread my work. So if you're interested or know a beta looking to read the gibberish of a madwoman, let me know?_


	5. Chapter 5

The past two weeks had been a barrage of tests, results and medics, but it was finally slowing to a trickle, and Tenten was beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Her leg was still mostly immobile. By the end of the first round of tests, it had been made very clear to her that her recovery would not be simple. Parts of the bone had shattered, which was a problem regardless, but it had also damaged the nerves in her leg. The weeks in the hospital had also caused the muscle to atrophy, so that her calf looked almost doll-like.

And all of that was even before they had determined that the chakra connections were partially severed.

But today, she knew something was different. The medics had only come in briefly to check on her, and there hadn't been any diagnostics or strange machines being wheeled in and out of the room. When Sakura showed up with the release forms that afternoon, Tenten was practically champing at the bit.

The pink-haired girl smiled as she handed the forms over, but then she hesitated, pulling them back just before they reached Tenten's eagerly outstretched hands.

"Now, you understand that while this releases you from intensive care here at the hospital, you're still not going home."

Tenten blinked, her hands falling back into her lap. "What?"

"Your injuries still need supervision." Sakura regarded her seriously, gesturing to her bandaged leg. "You can't even support yourself on this leg. Did you really think we were going to be sending you home?"

"I..." Tenten stuttered to a halt, frowning. Realistically, she knew that her leg was useless – and would continue to be for weeks, at least – but it hadn't stopped her from hoping… "… there's no way I can go back home?"

The desperation in her voice was clear, but Sakura shook her head, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"You live on your own. We can't risk something happening."

Tenten took the forms, flipping through them slowly. Her eyes caught on words printed in bold, "severe nerve damage" and "five to six weeks physical therapy", and she grimaced. Her hand shook as she lowered the pen to the signature line, and there was a second of hesitation before she finally scribbled her name across the bottom of the page.

Sakura gave her another reassuring smile as she handed the forms back.

"We'll be moving you to the therapeutic care facility adjacent to the hospital. You'll have a temporary apartment there, with access to 24/7 medical attention, should you need it. You'll also have a caregiver who comes periodically…"

Sakura continued to explain the details of the arrangement, but all Tenten could hear was the sound of her freedom slinking slowly away to rest in the depths of some bottomless abyss. She was being treated like a child, and for what? Because she had been careless in a fight. She should have known better than to engage someone more than twice her size, should have realized that she had limitations, but headstrong as always, she had plunged in without thinking.

"… I figured you might appreciate that, right?"

Sakura looked at her expectantly, but Tenten didn't have the faintest idea what she'd just said.

"Huh?"

Sakura sighed.

"I said your teammates are here. They're going to escort you to your new residence."

"Oh." Tenten's mouthed closed in a hollow "o"; she wasn't really sure _how_ she felt about that. With all the chaos of the tests, she hadn't seen much of either Neji or Lee. She owed them a great deal for carrying her all the way back here, practically running themselves ragged just to save her, but at the same time, she felt guilty. She had not only crippled herself, but she'd crippled their team as well.

"Tenten?" Lee's normally boisterous voice was laced with hesitance as he came into the room. He paused when he saw Sakura there as well, and his face took on a cast of utter seriousness. "Sakura-san! You are looking youthful today, as always!"

Tenten smothered a giggle, watching as Sakura tried and failed to contain her consternation. "Hello, Lee."

Another figure followed Lee into the room, characteristically stoic. He spared an unrevealing glance at Tenten before turning to Sakura.

"Is she free to go?"

Sakura nodded, taking it as an excuse to start backing toward the door. "She's got all the paperwork done."

"Thank you, Sakura-san, for taking such wonderful care of our youthful blossom. Of course, I would expect nothing less from you!" Lee beamed at her.

This time, Tenten couldn't contain her laughter.

* * *

After several minutes of deliberation, it was decided that supporting Tenten would be the easiest way to get her to her new residence. The idea of carrying her had been thrown around, but it was vehemently protested by Tenten herself, so the idea was dropped almost as quickly as it was developed.

In the end, Tenten draped an arm around each of their shoulders, and they supported her at the waist. They made slow progress through the halls and out of the hospital; occasionally they stopped for Tenten to catch her breath. During these brief respites, Tenten insisted that they go on, but both Lee and Neji knew better than to continue. Neji could tell just from the red in her cheeks and the ragged way she was breathing that it was too much of an exertion. He stopped short of offering to carry her again. Already, she was growing frustrated with her lack of strength, and Neji knew that asking would only further embarrass her.

However, it seemed more and more likely that it would become necessary.

The longer they walked, the more he worried. With his arm around her waist to support her, he could feel the protrusion of her ribs just beneath the skin – there was too little where there should have been muscle. A flush suffused her skin, stretching from her shoulders up to the line of her cheekbones, and every time she blinked for too long, he feared she was going to faint. This kind of feebleness was strange for the usually uncompromising Tenten, and for Neji, it was absolutely terrifying.

When they reached the new apartment, Tenten said nothing, merely slumped onto the couch, staring at her bum leg with unconcealed revulsion.

Lee volunteered to go retrieve the rest of her things, and Neji stayed with Tenten. They sat in silence, Tenten caught up in her thoughts and Neji at a loss for words. What could he say? That he was sorry, that he felt this was somehow his fault? That wouldn't go anywhere productive, because he knew she'd say it was only her own fault, and he shouldn't feel guilty. But he did, and that, perhaps, was the thing he was least comfortable with admitting, even to himself.

"I'm sorry you all had to carry me over here."

Neji glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. She wasn't looking at him, staring instead at the wall opposite the couch, her eyes glazed. In the hopes of drawing her attention away from whatever dark thoughts she was currently caught up in, Neji moved from the chair he had been sitting in and settled onto the couch next to her.

She didn't look up.

"It was not a problem."

"Yeah, but it's…" She trailed off, molding her face into an expression of distaste. "It's stupid that you should even have to."

Tenten rubbed at her eyes, sighing loudly. "I'm so tired, and I don't even know why."

"You _are_ recovering from a serious injury." Neji supplied unhelpfully. He knew the moment it left his mouth that it had been idiotic to say. A sarcastic response was simply to be expected after that.

Surprisingly though, Tenten smiled.

"Gee, thanks, genius." The rebuke was soft, and Tenten lowered her head, until it rested gently against his shoulder.

"Seriously, thanks."

Neji was unable to answer. Soon enough, it didn't matter, as Tenten's breathing leveled out and her eyelids drooped shut.

Neji told himself that it was simply because he didn't want to aggravate her injury that he didn't move her, letting her sleep on his shoulder for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

_A/N: Hullo all. Well, my tardiness in publication is inexcusable. We'll leave it at that, rather than trying to make excuses that are ridiculous at best. _

_I'm also still in the market for a beta, so seriously, if you or anyone you know might want to beta this story, let me know please? It_ really_ needs a second pair of eyes. _

_Thank you for sticking with this story. Your reviews/faves/alerts are loved. _

_- Senka Hitomi_


	6. Chapter 6

"You can do it, Tenten-chan! Just a few steps more! The power of youth will sustain you!"

Tenten gritted her teeth – for once, not against the pain, but in order to keep a retort from slipping out before she could stop it. If she heard one more thing about the "miraculous healing power of youth", _Lee_ was seriously going to need it.

The end of the support beams seemed infinitely far away, though Tenten realized that she was already more than halfway. She had been working on the exercise for almost an hour now, exerting every ounce of her effort just to support her leg as she moved along the bars. Lee stood at the end of the parallel bars, shouting words of "encouragement", while Neji sat alongside, silent as ever. Tenten could feel herself beginning to tire – just those few weeks in the hospital had weakened her, and even now, her arms shook as she neared the end. It was all she could do to keep the tremors at bay.

"Almost there! The power—"

"So help me, Lee, when I get to the end of this…" She let the comment trail off as she felt her grip loosen.

_No time for sarcasm, must concentrate._

Still, Tenten could have sworn she heard a distinct snort of amusement from Neji's direction.

She inched forward, each step more difficult than the last. Her hands were clenched around the bars as tightly as she could manage, but her palms had begun to sweat, and that made progress difficult – as though it wasn't already. She concentrated on steadying her grip, ignoring the piercing pain that suffused her left leg every time she put it down.

"Just a bit more…" Lee murmured more quietly, but Tenten still caught the remark, and she shot him a death glare, one which would have been much more intimidating had it not been interrupted by a small gasp of alarm as her hand slipped. As if the whole of time had suddenly slowed to a crawl, Tenten could see the space where she'd just missed the support, could feel the air rushing past her. She anticipated the pain even before she felt it.

But then, the world snapped back to normal. Faster than her eyes could follow, Neji had moved from his meditative pose and braced her elbows, stopping her just inches from crashing into the ground.

It took a few moments for Tenten to reorient herself. Her mind had been anticipating a fall, but it hadn't come; regardless, the adrenaline continued to pump at full tilt through her veins, leaving her gasping for breath. Consequently, she failed to notice the shaking in Neji's arms as he helped to right her.

"Tenten-chan, are you alright?" Lee's wide-eyed gaze hovered in front of her, and Tenten waved him off, managing an unconvincing smile.

"I'm fine." She mumbled, though she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. It had been stupid, to keep going even when she knew she was getting fatigued. Now, she'd just made herself look like a weakling again.

"Are you sure, perhaps we should—"

"I'm fine!" She snapped, raising her voice more than she had intended.

Lee recoiled as though she had slapped him.

"Alright, Tenten-chan." He slunk backward, not meeting her gaze.

"Perhaps that is enough for now."

Neji's calm voice only added to Tenten's frustration, but she managed to bite her tongue and responded with a nod. Neji fell into step beside her, supporting her left side, but she noticed that Lee hesitated slightly, his gaze flickering anxiously to her face and then away again before he put a steadying arm around her waist. They walked back in silence, making slow progress across the medical facility's training ground.

Tenten tried to keep her expression steeled as they walked, but her frustration threatened to break through at every staggering step. Though she would never admit it to either of her teammates, she was starting to get seriously worried. It had been almost a week, and though she'd improved in her navigation of the parallel bars, it had very little to do with any form of recovery in her leg. Mostly, she'd learned how to get around the burning pain in her left leg – it wasn't diminishing, she was just adjusting.

And when she wasn't on the leg, she felt almost nothing at all. She had woken up only a few nights ago in a cold sweat, panicking because she had dreamed that the leg had been amputated, and then woken to find that she couldn't feel it. Fortunately, her quiet hyperventilation hadn't been enough to disturb the medic that came by in the evenings to monitor her condition, so she'd been able to keep the episode to herself. She wasn't sure she could handle having anyone – particularly her teammates, for that matter – know the extent to which the injury was affecting her.

A distant rumble of thunder broke through the veil of her morose thoughts, and she glanced skyward. Apparently, she had been so concentrated on her training that she had failed to notice the cluster of rainclouds gathering in the west, slowly creeping toward the village.

Neji and Lee had noticed as well, but there was little to be done; with Tenten's injury, they couldn't move much faster, unless they carried her, which she had vehemently protested every time the topic had come up in conversation.

The first splatter of rain was quick to follow, misting drops like freckles across the bridge of her nose. Water gathered on the blades of grass beneath their feet, making it harder and harder for Tenten to find her footing and slowing them even further. By the time they reached the apartment, all three of them were thoroughly soaked, and Tenten had mud all the way to her knees, caking the outer dressings of the cast on her leg. When Neji and Lee had her safely deposited on the couch, she examined it at length, grimacing as she pulled away the ruined bandages. Neji excused himself to put some tea on, but Lee remained in the room, seating himself next to the window without a sound.

It took Tenten a few moments to realize he was sulking, but when the silence stretched to a full minute, she knew something was wrong.

Sighing, she reached over to poke his arm. "Look, Lee, I didn't mean to snap at you."

He glanced over at her, his face caught up in a childish pout. After a few seconds, he turned back to the window and muttered something unintelligible.

"What was that?"

"I said…" he turned back to her, still frowning, "you never snap at Neji-san that way."

Tenten couldn't hold back a grimace, because she knew it was true. But Neji was different. He was always so calm, which could, on occasion, be just as irritating as Lee's enthusiasm, but snapping at him had never been an option. She couldn't really explain it, but something about the idea of snapping at Neji would be admitting that her incapacitation was truly getting to her, whereas with Lee, it could just be explained away as a response to his boisterousness. Still, the realization left a lump in the pit of her stomach.

"I..." She wrinkled her nose. "It's just frustrating."

At that, Lee's face softened. "We're only trying to help, Tenten-chan."

She nodded, glancing over her shoulder before she spoke. Neji was nowhere in sight.

"I know you are. But I feel bad that you even have to do that. You both should be out training, not taking care of an invalid."

The exaggerated look of shock on Lee's face assured Tenten that the wound to his pride had been swiftly forgotten.

"Tenten-chan! Why would you even say anything like that? You are the beloved youthful blossom of our team! What kind of shinobi would we be if we didn't oversee the recovery of our teammate?"

Tenten almost laughed despite herself. "I guess so. Still, this isn't exactly what you signed up for. If I'd just been more careful—"

Lee cut her off. "You blame _yourself_ for this injury? If Neji-san and I had been more attentive—"

"It's not your responsibility." Tenten chided quietly, adding almost as an afterthought, "…or Neji's. I let our team down, and that's all there is to it."

Lee opened his mouth to make a retort, but he was forced to stop as Neji re-entered the room. Tenten shot him a warning glance, and Lee realized, at least for now, the discussion was clearly over.

* * *

"…never snap at Neji-san that way."

At the mention of his name, Neji stepped out into the hallway; he wasn't typically an eavesdropper, but for some reason, this conversation caught his attention.

"I…" Tenten's voice was laced with guilt, and Neji could only assume it was because of her earlier loss of control. Tenten could be short-tempered at times, but recently it had gotten increasingly worse. Lee was right, however; the brunt of her temper recently had borne by Lee alone, and Neji himself wasn't sure why.

"…only trying to help..."

"I know you are." There was an element of tiredness in Tenten's voice as well, a fact which was also worrisome. The growing bags under her eyes hadn't escaped Neji's notice – he'd not broached the subject of her sleeping habits yet, but it clearly was not sufficient for her recovery.

"If I'd just been more careful…"

Neji frowned. Was _that _what she was worried about?

Lee made some astonished exclamation, but the first part of it wasn't clear. "If Neji-san and I had been more attentive—"

"It's not your responsibility… or Neji's." She responded, her voice going hushed. "I let our team down and that's all there is to it."

The admission sent a cold shock through Neji. As he re-entered the kitchen, he ran the words over in his mind, trying to make sense of it. She thought she'd let their team down? The entire mission had been riddled with problems, but it wasn't as though her injury had come about as the result of any great error on her part. Where would she have even gotten such a notion?

Lee and Tenten's conversation ceased the moment he stepped back into the room, and a quiet discussion of the sudden change in the weather replaced it. Still, Neji couldn't stop himself from glancing over at his teammate, whose waxen face was made all the more grim by the half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

More than ever, Neji felt his determination redouble. They _would_ get Tenten back into fighting form, regardless of the effort it took.

* * *

_A/N: Hullo all! I'd just like to thank you all for your support of this story. I know I've been sporadic with updates, but I truly appreciate the amazing response I've gotten. You all are wonderful._

_Keep the reviews coming, and let me know what you think!_

* * *

_Also, just a note to a couple of my reviewers:_

_To the anonymous reviewer that asked the wonderful question,"Where's Gai?" Answer to come in the next chapter. :)_

_And to my anonymous review from Paraguay: Hello! Sorry for the delayed response, but it's always wonderful to hear from readers around the globe. Hope you continue to enjoy the story! __:)_


	7. Chapter 7

"WHERE IS OUR YOUTHFUL BLOSSOM?!"

Tenten woke with a start, barely catching herself from tumbling off the couch at the sound of the ear-shattering exclamation from just outside.

Sitting up slowly, she rubbed the back of her neck and attempted to make some sense of her surroundings with her still-groggy mind. It had been a mistake to fall asleep on the couch – her leg ached worse than ever, and the strange angle at which she'd slept had left her with a crick in her neck, one that she knew would plague her for at least two days.

She didn't have long to focus on her ailments, however, as she was shortly interrupted by the sound of wood splintering and an alarmed shout.

Rotating her encased leg around, she reached out for her crutches, but she didn't have the time to right herself. At that moment, a figure burst into the room, his wide eyes frantically searching. When his gaze finally lighted on her, he rushed forward.

"TENTEN!"

Tenten shrieked, unable to fend off the man suddenly barreling at her. Cringing in anticipation, she prepared herself for the lung-crushing embrace that she knew was soon to follow.

She maintained her defensive curl, but after a few moments, nothing happen. Slowly uncoiling, she took stock of the situation in front of her.

"G-Gai…sensei…"

Maito Gai was frozen mere centimeters from Tenten, held back only by the great effort of one Neji Hyuuga. Neji had one arm wrapped securely across Gai's shoulders and the other in a death grip on his upper arm, struggling to keep him from leaping forward and tackling Tenten.

Tenten, for her part, could only watch, frozen partly in horror and partly in amusement.

"Gai-sensei…" Neji gritted his teeth, slowly pulling their enthusiastic teacher backwards. "Tenten is injured. Attempting to tackle her in the name of youth will not help her situation."

"But our delicate flower—"

"Is recovering!"

Slowly, Gai relaxed. Neji loosed his hold, but the force he'd been exerting was enough to make him stumble backward – it didn't escape Tenten's notice that he had to grab onto the back of a chair to steady himself.

"Tenten, my beloved student!" Gai began to move forward again, but thought better of it, and settled for sitting down across from her, his eyes welling with melodramatic tears. "If I had known sooner, I would have rushed back from my mission!"

"Gai-sensei," Tenten grimaced, trying and failing to hide the embarrassment that was creeping into her cheeks, "it wouldn't have made a difference if you were here or not. I'm fine, really."

"Clearly you are not!" Gai leapt from his chair, practically knocking it over. Only Neji's quick intervention managed to keep it from falling over completely. "Clearly, you—"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

The roaring voice, even in its fury, was instantly recognizable. Three faces turned to see a fuming Sakura, her fist clenched so tightly it was shaking.

"Sakura-san…"

"Did you…" Her voice shook with the effort to control her rage. "…kick down this door?"

Gai chuckled uncomfortably, unwilling to meet her gaze. "My student… she was severely injured and—"

"I'm aware of her injuries!" Sakura's face was growing redder by the minute, and it occurred to Tenten that while she and her teammates were quite used to their teacher's antics, for Sakura, this was simply unacceptable. "The fact remains that you cannot just run into any place you like and start destroying things! You kicked down the door and part of the wall of a _Konoha medical facility building_, which now cannot be used while we conduct repairs."

It took a few moments for the realization to sink in. When it did, Tenten practically shot out of her seat.

"Does that mean I can go home?"

Sakura gave a tired sigh, gesturing down the hallway at the ruined door. "You really shouldn't, but I don't know what other choice we have. All of the other independent care facilities are occupied, and we can't leave you here with a broken door."

Tenten had never been so happy to have a certifiably insane teacher as she was at that very moment.

* * *

"You… really didn't pack much." Neji glanced around the empty room, the contents of which had been compacted into one small duffel bag. Tenten surveyed it proudly, the barest hint of a smile lighting her face for the first time in what seemed like weeks. Neji couldn't suppress a smile of his own upon seeing it.

"Makes it easier to move!" Picking up her crutches, she pulled herself slowly to her feet. "Let's go!"

Neji stared at her skeptically as she made her way to the door. With a stiff leg, her progress was slow, and every step took more effort than the last. They made their way out the door, but while it was barely an effort for Neji, Tenten was sweating within moments. By the time they'd made it out onto the main road, she was flushed, and wincing every time her left leg hit the ground.

"Tenten… are you going to be alright?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled, but she refused to meet his eye.

_It's not your responsibility._

Her words returned to him with stark clarity, and Neji couldn't stop himself from fixating on them. Did she really believe herself to be that much of a burden?

Knowing that he was doing something potentially dangerous, Neji pushed past his worries and moved to her side. Before Tenten could even protest, Neji had an arm securely around her waist. Using the weight of her cast to throw her off-balance, he swept her off the ground in one swift motion, hanging her crutches over his right arm.

Even with extra bulk added by the cast, Neji still marveled at how light she was. Though she'd regained some of her strength in recovery, she was still thinner than could possibly be healthy.

"Neji…" She growled. He could see the beginnings of rage kindling in her eyes; despite that, she wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself.

"There is no excuse for you to further injure yourself." He stated matter-of-factly. He began to walk; already the progress was considerably faster.

"Neji, I don't—"

He cut her off.

"You're not a burden."

Her mouth hung open, the pallor of realization overtaking her features.

"You heard what I said to Lee."

He shrugged.

"Kami…" she murmured, "I never meant for you to hear that… I didn't even want to tell Lee."

"Tenten, you are our teammate." Neji kept his eyes straight ahead, not trusting himself to look at her while he spoke. "Do you really think we would not do whatever we could to help aid your recovery?"

"Of course not." She replied gently, guilt bleeding through her words. "But you also have responsibilities."

Neji tilted his head noncommittally. To some extent, what she said was true – he was a Jonin, which came with certain obligations. At the same time, however, none of his other responsibilities were as important to him as her health and safety.

The thought came to him so easily that, at first, he didn't even think twice about him.

A few moments later came the cold shock of insight.

Though he had never put words to it before now, the feeling that had been plaguing him since they returned from the mission was now given new clarity. There was _nothing_ in his life that meant as much to him as her – not his training, not his obligations to the clan – all of it paled in comparison to the well-being of his teammate and best friend.

"Neji." He was brought out of his revelation by a poke to his shoulder. Tenten was looking up at him questioningly, and he wondered just how long he had been caught up in his thoughts.

"Neji, I need you to put me down so I can open the door."

He did as she requested, still reeling slightly. He felt slow, a state of being to which he was most certainly not accustomed. When she gestured for him to come in, he could only nod and follow.

"Sorry for the mess. It's been a while since I've been here to clean." She laughed dryly at her own little joke.

"Tenten?"

"Hm?" She half-turned to look at him. Even in the dim lighting, he could see the dark circles beneath her eyes.

"You ought to sit and take the weight off of your leg."

That was not what he had intended to say, but that was what came out. Tenten, at least, did not protest, and followed his advice, arranging herself rather unceremoniously on the couch. Neji took the seat next to her.

The room was silent for a moment.

"It's not a responsibility, you know."

"Hmm?"

Neji looked up at her, his gaze insistent.

"It's not our responsibility to make sure you are cared for."

She opened her mouth, but she didn't have the time to get anything out.

"It's our privilege."

He had never seen such an expression of shock from her.

The longer she stared at him, the more Neji's stomach churned. Finally, he stood up, turning away so that at least he didn't have to feel the weight of her gaze on him.

"You ought to get some rest. I'll stop by to see you tomorrow."

He had taken three steps away when he felt the hand on his arm.

"Neji?"

He turned to find Tenten standing without her crutches – the pain of it had to have been excruciating, but something else was clouding her features.

"Would you… stay?"

* * *

_A/N: To my reviewers who were wondering where Gai was, there you go! Hehe. ^_^_

_I apologize for the delay. Given certain... circumstances, this chapter was very hard for me to write. But fear not! Despite the terrible events of chapter 614 (coughcoughandthetravestythat was615coughcough), Road to Recovery will continue! Canon be damned, I still love NejiTen._

_Reviews are treasured. I'm still amazed at all the support I've gotten so far, and I hope to keep hearing from you all!_

_Senka Hitomi_


	8. Chapter 8

Tenten studied her teammate's face as he flipped through the book that he had pulled off her shelf. With each page he turned, the frown on his face deepened ever so slightly. Tenten had to resist the urge to giggle.

After a few moments of having her gaze fixed on him, Neji glanced up.

"So what do you think?"

"Your choice of reading material is… interesting." He finished, unable to say anything else. He flipped the tome over in his hands, examining the cover.

"Which is to say you think weapons theory is totally boring." She couldn't manage to stifle the laugh that bubbled out of her throat.

Neji looked consternated. "I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." She grinned, grabbing the book out of his hands. "It gets really tedious at times, but some of the formations in here are just incredible. Of course, they could always be improved upon…" She flipped through the book, her finger finally coming to rest on the diagram she wanted. She held it out to him.

"See, like this one. They say it's better if you have a long-range and a mid-range fighter, but actually, if you just shifted the position of this trap about thirty degrees…" her finger traced the line. "… you could accommodate a short range fighter too."

The last part of her statement was followed shortly by a yawn; she tried – and, much to her chagrin, failed – to hide it behind her hand.

And of course, her ever-watchful teammate noticed.

"You should sleep. You've had a strenuous day." Neji peeled the book from her hands gently, setting it down on the coffee table.

Tenten held up her hands in protest, shaking her head.

"I'm fine, really." The statement was followed by another undisguised yawn. She wrinkled her nose in annoyance, and vaguely wondered what it would feel like to actually _win_ an argument with Neji for once.

"Come on."

Neji stood up and offered her his arm, which she took reluctantly. She was pleased to note that rather than offering to carry her – or simply doing so without her permission, as he had this afternoon – Neji allowed her to lean on him for support and walk the short distance. As apologies from the Hyuuga went, this was probably as close as she was going to get.

They reached her room with surprisingly few problems. Tenten settled herself in carefully, adjusting her bandaged leg until it was comfortable.

She watched her teammate as he dimmed the lamp, and checked the windows, fastening the latches. Her smile faltered just slightly when she realized that it was likely because if an intruder broke in, he knew she wouldn't be able to defend herself. She tried not to let that thought sour her mood.

Tenten closed her eyes and leaned back, reassured by Neji's muffled footsteps. It was only when they began to recede that her eyes shot back open.

* * *

"Where are you going?"

Neji turned slightly to find Tenten staring at him. She had all the innocence of an ill child, and if he hadn't known any better, he almost could have sworn she was _pouting_.

His hand fell away from the door handle, dropping back to his side.

"Nowhere." He came back, surveying the room. There were no chairs, so he was either going to have to stand or…

"You know, you can sit. I don't mind." Tenten gave him a quizzical look, patting the comforter next to her.

Neji eyed it dubiously. It was a small bed, certainly not large enough to accommodate two people. He sat tentatively on the edge at first, but that was distinctly uncomfortable. Finally, he simply caved and arranged himself next to her.

Tenten failed to hide a smile.

"So, you're gonna tell me a story to put me to sleep, right, Neji?"

Neji looked down at her impishly grinning face. He sincerely hoped that he knew her well enough to assume that she was joking, but...

At a loss for words, only his tradition 'Hn.' came out.

Tenten's grin widened, and she poked him in the arm.

"I was only kidding, Neji."

She closed her eyes, and Neji regarded her for a moment. The faintest strains of moonlight were just beginning to leak through the window, and they lit her pale face with a ghostly light. It glinted off her eyelashes, highlighting the dark brown against the pallor of her skin. They were so delicate and lovely, just brushing the surface of her cheeks. He marveled at the fact that he'd never noticed it before, and then scolded himself for even being so foolishly sentimental.

Still…

"Once upon a time, there was a kunoichi, who lived in a village full of the most prestigious shinobi in all the lands."

Tenten's eyes shot open for a moment, her expression both surprised and pleased. It was such a relief to see the expression from her. Tonight was the most he'd seen her smile in weeks –and not the strange forced smiles that had so often graced her features lately.

"She had many ambitions, and many talents. Through her years of training, she met with many challenges, but she faced them all with determination, slowly improving herself to become the best shinobi she could possibly be."

Tenten's eyes fluttered closed again. As he spoke, her head lolled against his shoulder.

"She was admired by many for her talents with weapons. Some even said she had the best accuracy they'd ever seen. As she trained, she became increasingly skilled, until she was lauded without exception as the best weapons master in the village."

Shifting in her sleep, Tenten wrapped her hands around his arm. His initial reaction was to stiffen at the increased contact, but after a few moments, he realized that he really didn't mind.

"But one day," he continued more quietly, "her teammates were careless, and they allowed her to get hurt. She was badly injured, and they thought they might never forgive themselves."

He paused, waiting to see if she reacted, but nothing happened. Her only motion was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

His voice reduced to a whisper, Neji resumed his story.

"She would prove all their doubts wrong, however, because she was stronger than they could even have imagined. She recovered wonderfully, and came back with even more determination than before."

Neji paused, noting that a stray hair had fallen into Tenten's face. With the gentlest touch he could manage, he brushed it back.

"And that lovely kunoichi went on to do incredible things until the end of her days."

* * *

Tenten wondered if he knew that she wasn't quite asleep yet, but when his fingers touched her forehead, she decided he definitely thought she was. Her blood surged at the touch, but she didn't move, not daring, lest he realize. She could almost guarantee that such a gesture of affection from the Hyuuga would never have occurred had he been aware that she was still conscious.

"And that lovely kunoichi…"

Tenten heard nothing beyond that. Every bit of grogginess fell away from her, and it was all she could do to keep her breathing steady.

_Lovely?_

Even as sleep slowly began to claim her, the word echoed in her mind.

* * *

Something pulled Neji from the depths of slumber, and for a moment, he couldn't figure out where he was. Not even the pale light of the moon broke through the window, casting the room into penetrating darkness, and he realized that it must be much later than he thought. The room itself was unfamiliar, and there was warmth emanating from a figure on his right.

But then, as he discovered the source of his return to consciousness, he remembered.

Tenten was sitting up next to him, and tears were rolling down her face. Her eyes were clenched tightly shut, as though she were trying to keep pain at bay. The smallest of cries escaped her lips, and she hastily covered her mouth, but when she felt Neji move next to her, she realized it was already too late.

He was instantly alert. "What's wrong?"

Tenten shook her head, trying to give him a weak smile.

"It's nothing."

The admission was followed by another squeak of pain, and she doubled over, pulling her working knee up until it touched her forehead. She clenched her teeth against the pain, but it didn't help.

"Tenten?" In her haze, she missed the alarm that had crept into his tone.

In too much pain to respond, Tenten simply shook her head.

Ignoring what Tenten would have wanted him to do for the second time that day, Neji scooped her up and was out the door within moments.

* * *

_How _is _she?_

Neji spent most of the first half-hour pacing the length of the hospital waiting room, impatiently awaiting any news. His blood surged through his veins at full tilt, still thrumming with the adrenaline of running all the way to the hospital. Halfway there, Tenten had passed out from the pain, which had only caused him to move faster.

Fortunately, when they had arrived, the Hokage's assistant had been on duty. Shizune immediately sprung into action, whisking Tenten away to an examination room with a few cursory questions about what precisely had happened. Neji, even in his addled state, was able to answer them calmly.

But now, he had to wait. And Neji, even being the patient person he normally was, was not coping well.

After a while, he finally willed himself to sit down, realizing that his pacing was doing nothing aside from causing him to become even more agitated. As he sat, the accumulated weariness of the day descended on him gradually. For the next few hours, he drifted between varying levels of consciousness.

Eventually, he settled into a state of half-meditation. Though it wasn't entirely effective in assuaging his worry, it did help him to relax. Only when Shizune came striding down the hall did he snap back to attention.

He shot out of his seat; later, it would occur to him that he might have seemed overeager, but he mostly attributed it to his utter exhaustion.

Shizune gestured for him to sit back down, and he did so with considerable hesitation.

"How is she?"

"She's much better." Shizune reassured, taking the seat across from him. Her expression was curious, but Neji didn't bother to question it, too eager to hear news of his teammate's condition.

"What happened?"

"Well, it seems that the chakra therapy we've been doing actually _did _have an effect. It was just… delayed." Shizune shrugged equivocally. "We had been administering the therapy in the hopes of gradually returning the nerves to working order. It didn't work quite as we had anticipated."

"So, the feeling returned then?"

Shizune nodded, a slight frown wrinkling her face.

"To the tibial nerve, at least. All at once."

Neji didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. The nerves returning to their normal state was a good thing, to some extent, but that the therapy hadn't been working up to this point… why had Tenten not mentioned it?

"It's good that you brought her in when you did." Shizune continued, and Neji noticed that the curious look had returned. "In that much pain, I doubt she would have been able to get here by herself, and it was imperative that we know about this as soon as possible."

Neji nodded. He didn't dare consider what would have happened had he not been there.

"Neji-san…"

He looked up, hearing the concern in Shizune's tone.

"We're doing the best we can for her."

Neji processed the statement with some skepticism. Had he implied otherwise? Certainly not.

"I know you are concerned about your teammate."

"I…"

Neji started to reply, but he faltered, the words falling flat before they even left his mouth.

Shizune smiled gently at him.

"It's not as though you can pretend to be unaffected. You brought her here at two in the morning."

He frowned, but it wasn't as though he could deny the truth in her words.

"But she'll be alright?"

Shizune nodded.

"She'll be fine."

* * *

_A/N: __Hello, my lovely readers! _

_First of all, I have to give a shout-out to my awesome new beta, Melodies Unwritten. Thank you so much! (You all have Melodies to thank for this chapter making quite a bit more sense than it originally did.)_

_Also, thank you, thank you, thank you to_ bearhead, .me, Kratos Wilder, DarkAnonymous324, Diananananana, eternalsmiles, Fearless Rider, lovedisease, Melodies Unwritten, steenta112, angel03618, Ani, _and _SeiraXD_ for the reviews I got for the last chapter! I'm still floored by the success of this story and all the alerts/favs/reviews I've received. Keep them coming, and I'm so glad you're all enjoying the story! _

_Happy reading!_

_Senka Hitomi_


	9. Chapter 9

"You _really _don't have to do this, Lee."

Tenten's discomfort went unnoticed as her teammate lifted her onto his back, shaking his head vehemently.

"I could not be there in your time of need, so this is the least I can do! After all…" he shot a sidelong glance at Neji, who was watching the spectacle through half-glazed eyes. "… I cannot allow myself to lose to my eternal rival!"

Tenten rolled her eyes, but admittedly, Lee's antics weren't holding her attention. As the three began their trek back to her apartment, Tenten gave Neji another glance, confirming her worry.

Neji was always pale, but today he looked especially ghostly – there were actually bags beneath his eyes. According to Shizune, he had stayed at the hospital the entire night, and long into the next morning, only leaving once to get breakfast, mostly because the medic practically forced him out the door. While Tenten certainly appreciated his devotion, she was worried; she didn't think she had ever seen Neji look this tired.

Lee, meanwhile, was continuing his rant.

"…if I had known that the youthful blossom of our team was in such pain, I would have arrived in an instant!"

Tenten allowed herself a chuckle.

"Lee, it's fine, really. It all turned out fine. Right, Neji?"

The remark didn't even draw so much as a nod from him.

"Neji?"

He glanced up at the second mention of his name, his light eyes taking a few moments to focus on her face.

"Yes?"

"My youthful rival, you are not looking so youthful." Lee remarked, his tone oddly serious.

"Hn." Neji shrugged it off, looking away from his two concerned teammates.

Neji was silent for the rest of the walk back to Tenten's apartment, and though Lee continued with his usual chatter, even that was slightly subdued. By the time they reached the front door, he had run out of things to say entirely, which _never_ happened; Tenten almost pinched herself just to confirm that this was, in fact, still reality.

"Would you mind just taking me to my room, Lee? I'm a little tired." Tenten allowed her teammate to carry her into the house – even if she had wanted to protest, she wasn't entirely sure she was strong enough to make it on her own.

"I'll wait out here, Lee." Neji said, taking a seat on the couch. "We can head to the training field once Tenten is comfortable."

"Training field?!" Tenten glanced between the two of them – Lee was as lively as ever, but Neji looked like he could collapse at any moment. "Are you crazy? You're going to train when you're practically—"

Tenten abruptly ended her rant as she realized that she was being swiftly transported away from the living room.

"Lee, you baka!" She hit him in the shoulder, though weak as she was, it was barely a swat. "What did you do that for? Neji looks like death warmed over and the two of you are going to _train_? What kind of—"

"Tenten." Lee's tone was so solemn that she immediately stopped. He set her down on the bed, taking care not to twist her leg. "I am aware of Neji's state, and I am also concerned, but if Neji wishes to train, that is what we shall do."

"But, he…"

"…has probably already fallen asleep on your couch." Lee finished, crossing his arms, as if daring her to defy him.

Tenten stared slack-jawed at her teammate. Since when was Lee the rational one?

As if nothing had happened, Lee changed the subject.

"How are you feeling, my youthful blossom?"

Tenten shrugged, adjusting the pillows behind her head. Compared to last night, she was feeling wonderful.

"A little tired, really."

Lee chuckled. "That is understandable."

With a noticeable glance back toward the living room, where their other teammate was likely collapsed on the couch, Lee cleared his throat.

"Still, it is fortunate that Neji was able to help you."

Tenten heard the question in his statement, and a blush sprang unwittingly to her cheeks. She had gotten similarly questioning gazes from Shizune in the hospital – it made her insides squirm a little. Was it so unusual that her teammate would be concerned enough to stay around and make sure she was alright?

_But, then again, he had called her _lovely…

"Yes, very fortunate," she finally mumbled.

"But you are sure you are feeling alright?" Lee's question was hushed – decidedly atypical for the boisterous shinobi.

"Lee…"

Tenten looked up at him, but he didn't meet her gaze. His entire body was tensed, his fists clenched tightly at his side. While it wasn't rare to see such agitation from Lee, generally it was associated with training. Tenten had been getting strange vibes from him all afternoon, but she assumed that if she waited long enough, he would just tell her. Lee was good at many things, but keeping his emotions concealed was not one of them.

But apparently, today she was just going to have to come out and ask.

"Lee, what's going on?"

Lee continued to study the shadows on the floor with great interest. When he spoke, it was with great hesitance.

"We are both simply… concerned, for our teammate."

"Concerned?" Tenten narrowed her eyes. "Lee, you heard what Shizune said. I'm doing better, much better than I was."

_Never mind the fact that I wasn't doing very well to begin with…_

"Neji told me about the therapy… about your progress."

Tenten's blood ran cold. What did Neji even know about her progress? She had been keeping that strictly to herself – the only people she'd even discussed it with were the attendants at the hospital…

Slowly, it dawned on her.

She gritted her teeth; she and Shizune would be having a very serious talk about doctor-patient confidentiality in the near future.

Taking her silence as affirmation, Lee continued.

"Tenten, why did you not tell us? We were under the impression that you had been recovering, but Neji has informed me—"

"It's none of Neji's goddamned business!" Tenten snapped. It wasn't true, and she knew it – Neji had every right to know. But still, she couldn't stand the idea of him thinking that she was… weak.

In the face of such a comment, Tenten would have expected Lee to be completely shocked. She would have expected him to be upset, in a teary sort of way. She might even have expected a comment on her language.

What she was not expecting, however, was what followed.

"It is all of our business, Tenten!"

Tenten couldn't remember the last time she'd heard Lee raise his voice in such a manner. She stuttered to respond, but he wasn't finished.

"You say that it is not our responsibility to care for our teammate, but it is! Neji and I want to help you, but we cannot do so if you lie to us! Why did you not tell us that you had not regained the feeling in your leg? As your teammates, we thought you trusted us, but if you cannot tell us—"

"I do trust you!" Tenten yelled, the words coming out before she could stop them. The last thing she'd wanted to do today was get into a screaming match with Lee, but it seemed she was left with few other options.

"I do trust both of you, more than anyone, but how was I supposed to tell you? How was I supposed to tell you that I couldn't feel my entire lower leg? How was I supposed to tell you that the therapy wasn't working like it was supposed to, and that the medics were running out of other options? How was I supposed to tell you that _my_ stupid failure might cost me my career?"

The questions tumbled from her mouth, hitting the air before she could stop them. Tears of frustration coursed down her cheeks, which only served to make her angry. Her last statement came out as little more than a choke.

"I do trust both of you, but how was I supposed to disappoint you?"

A pregnant silence stretched between them. Tenten clenched her fist around the sheets, until the skin was as white as the fabric. Unable to look Lee in the eye anymore, she let the tears rain onto her skin, coursing off the side of her hand and soaking into the cover.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lee spoke.

"Neji was there the entire night."

"I know he was." Tenten said guiltily.

"We care for you, Tenten." He paused. "Neji… he has been especially concerned. I believe he feels responsible. He…"

Lee stopped, biting off the end of the sentence. There was some unspoken truth hanging in the air, and Tenten desperately wanted him to finish that statement, but it was gone.

"We only want to help."

"Then leave me alone."

Tenten regretted the words as soon as she said them, but there was no way to get them back. She didn't have to look at Lee to know the expression of hurt that crossed his face.

"Tenten, I did not mean…"

"_Please_ go." She amended, her voice shaking as more tears bubbled up.

Lee did as he was told and made his way to the door. Only as he reached the hallway did he turn around.

"What about…?"

'…_Neji._' Tenten realized. If his earlier pallor was any indication, Lee's assessment had probably been right. Neji had probably already fallen asleep.

"If he's asleep, don't disturb him." She said quietly. After all, it was her fault that he was so exhausted in the first place. She didn't want to cause him more trouble, not after all of this.

"Of course." Lee hesitated, as though he were about to begin speaking again, but he thought better of it and turned away.

Tenten stared down at her leg in revulsion. She wished she could just cut the cast off, throw it away, burn it, destroy it in any way possible. Not that it would solve the real problem, but maybe at least she could achieve some sense of catharsis from such an action.

Only when she was sure she'd heard the click of the front door shutting did she give herself over to audible sobs, burying her face in her hands.

* * *

_A/N: Whoa. So I originally did not intend this chapter to be quite so angsty, but... eh, I guess it needed to happen. Sorry for the delay in releasing the chapter. I really intended to have it out sooner, but I had a crazy week of deadlines. (5 tests/papers/presentations in 2 days. It was NOT fun.) However, I have few excuses for delaying this weekend, other than work. Blame tumblr. It's addictive!_

_Thanks to _pusa. is. me, Melodies Unwritten, DarkAnonymous324, VampireKunoichi14, McKazekage, Ami1010, Fearless Rider, NuitNuit01, shadeeclipse66, Ani, touch. the. sound, _and_ Dancing-Souls_ for your amazing reviews! You all are so, so wonderful for sticking with this story and I couldn't be happier to have such a fantastic bunch of readers. _

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'd love to hear what you think! _

_- Senka Hitomi_


	10. Chapter 10

The first thought that occurred to Neji when he woke was that this was _not _the Hyuuga compound.

The second came as a vague sense that something here was wrong.

He had never quite been able to explain it – the eerie intuition he had when something was wrong with one, or both, of his teammates. But it might as well have been an alarm blaring in his head, ringing painfully through his ears until he could barely even think.

Sitting up on the couch, Neji looked around him. It came back to him slowly: the long night at the hospital, the walk back with his teammates, and the exhaustion that had weighed him down like a lead weight as soon as he sat down. He leaned forward, listening for any sound from the back of the house, where Tenten would likely be, if not sleeping then at least recovering. He strained to hear the sound of her breathing, the rustle of sheets, anything to indicate her presence, but his efforts were rewarded with silence.

The pieces came together in mere seconds, shocking his limbs into action before his rational processes could make sense of it. Running purely on impulse, he threw the door to her bedroom open, but in the recesses of his mind, he already knew what he would find: rumpled sheets and drawers carefully replaced, but mostly empty. He did a cursory check of the bathroom and closet, and then ducked his head into the other rooms of the apartment, but each empty room only confirmed what he had already suspected.

She was gone.

* * *

"_What happened_?"

It had been simple enough to find Lee. In the afternoon on any given day, he was at one of the training grounds, fulfilling some ridiculous task that Gai-sensei had given him. When Neji found him, he had been in the midst of kicking a wooden post, with his legs weighed down by weights five times the normal size of the restraints he wore.

Today, however, his training would have to wait.

"My youthful rival, what brings you to...?" Lee stopped in mid-kick, his face registering confusion.

"You are upset." He observed, returning to normal posture. He circled Neji with all the innocence of a curious puppy.

It took all of Neji's meditative training not to the throttle the boy. _Yes_, he was upset. That should have been blatantly obvious from the moment he stormed onto the training field.

But getting angry would do him no good now. "What happened, Lee? Where is she?"

"Where is wh—"

Neji watched the realization sink in, painting Lee's face ashen. His already round eyes widened even further. "Oh no."

"What do you know?"

"We had an argument," Lee explained quickly, "I told her that trying to keep her injuries from us was very un-youthful and that we must face the trial as a team! I did not mean any harm, I merely thought…"

He looked at Neji, his features stricken with desperation. "What have I done to the youthful blossom of our team?"

"You idiot!" Neji hissed. In his anger, he almost sent a flare of chakra to activate his Byakugan, but he took a deep breath and allowed it to pass.

_Getting angry at Lee will not help the situation_, he reminded himself for the second time.

"Well, she is gone. I came here as soon as I woke and found the house empty, but I have no idea when she left."

"I have only been training for approximately three hours," Lee offered. "She cannot have been gone for much longer than that."

"Where would she have gone?" Neji mused, more to himself than to Lee.

"She cannot have gotten far, can she? I do not doubt the spirit of our youthful blossom, but she was only released from the hospital this morning."

For once, Lee's logic actually made sense. In his mind, Neji mapped the area around Konoha, calculating distances three hours out, and subtracting a bit for a slowed pace. Lee was right: she could only have gotten so far.

"Lee, check as much of the village as you can, starting with the places she would be most likely to visit. I'll do a search of the village's perimeter."

Lee nodded solemnly, falling into his nice guy pose.

"We will find our beloved teammate, no matter what."

Neji nodded succinctly, ignoring the anxiety growing quietly like a constricting vine in his chest.

* * *

Her apartment had revealed no clues to her whereabouts, so Neji was left to work purely on speculation. He began with the sections of the surrounding forest that were closest to other villages, but they yielded few results. The closest he came was a set of footprints leading to a small village known for their weapons, but it proved to be nothing more than a travelling merchant returning from a supply trip. Aside from that he found no tracks, which he took as an indicator that she hadn't gone this way. Tenten was skilled enough to know to cover her tracks, but doing so would also have cost her time. If she'd been this way, and been careful enough to cover her tracks, she wouldn't have gotten much farther than that point.

Lee checked in periodically using a radio Neji had salvaged from a previous mission, but he had even less success. He had been subtly asking around town– at least, as subtly as Lee could _ever _manage – if anyone had seen Tenten, but to no avail. Most reported not having seen her in days, since she had been cooped up in her house recovering. Not seeing her around the village didn't seem to set off an alarm in anyone's head.

And Neji was beginning to get frustrated.

The search continued for hours, with the sun spilling down through the trees, baking the earth below. Neji, however, could barely feel the heat, focused as he was on the task at hand. He had pushed the Byakugan to its very limits, scanning the surrounding area, but after the strain of constant searching, his vision was beginning to blur. As night began to fall, he was finally forced to let his eyes rest for a few minutes. The moment he cut off the chakra, the world seemed to fade into black and white, a series of blurred shapes that swayed gently through his line of sight. Normally, it would have caused him great concern, but with Tenten still missing, he couldn't afford to be preoccupied with such trivial matters.

His mind kept darting back to the conversation he'd overhead her having with Lee only a few days earlier.

"_If I'd just been more careful…"_

"_It's not your responsibility…"_

The thoughts swirled like stinging insects through his head, irritating and sharply painful. Here he had been thinking that they'd made it clear to her that she _wasn't _a burden. That they were more than happy to see her to a healthy recovery, however long it took. Even if that meant sleepless nights and endless frustration, he had thought that she knew… thought that she _understood_…

But then again, it was Tenten, and though the logic behind her current actions eluded him, he knew her. They had been training partners for years, and he had become well accustomed to every little mannerism of hers, every little quirk of her personality. She didn't like things to be implicitly stated. Tenten wanted the truth, bold and brazen, no matter how unpleasant or unfortunate it might be. Perhaps that had been his mistake. He had told her that she wasn't a burden, that it was their privilege to help her, but he'd spent the rest of his time dancing around the subject, when perhaps all she'd really needed was to be told, point-blank, the truth of the matter. That he was not about to simply give up on her, and that it was more than just the obligation of a teammate, a point that was being driven into his head all the more strongly by every panicked moment of searching.

Because, truth be told, he would do whatever it took to help her, because more than anything, he _needed_ her to be alright.

Darkness was closing in on the forest, and Neji had almost reached his breaking point when the radio crackled to life. Lee's tired and not-quite-as-enthusiastic-as-usual voice buzzed in his ear.

"Neji, you must return to the village at once. Tsunade-sama wishes to see us."

* * *

_A/N: Hello, my dears. I realize this chapter's a bit short, but it's an interlude, so bear with me._

_Thanks to _Ani, Clovergirl100, Melodies Unwritten, Kratos Wilder, Ami1010, Ivyfeather319, Guest, pusa-is-me, Dancing-Souls, _and_ McKazekage _for your reviews of Chapter 9__, and thanks to everyone else who has stuck with the story. I really appreciate it._

_As always, I'm happy to hear your thoughts._

_- Senka Hitomi_


	11. Chapter 11

In retrospect, Tenten would realize that perhaps leaving unexpectedly had not been the best idea, considering her injuries and the argument with Lee. Sitting in the Hokage's office, however, all she could think was what stupendous _idiots_ her teammates were.

Lee had arrived in the office first. His mouth fell open at the sight of her. Before Tenten could get away, he had pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, spouting something about the powers of youth and begging forgiveness for his transgressions, all the while crying copiously. She was fairly certain she even heard something about walking across the Hokage mountain 500 times on his hands to atone for his ill-considered words, which Tenten was quick to tell him _wasn't_ necessary. While Lee had survived some ridiculous and downright foolhardy tasks in the past, Tenten was not about to be held responsible for any activity that could result in him permanently crippling himself, or worse.

While they awaited the arrival of their other teammate, Lee explained to Tenten the details of their search from Neji's panicked realization that she was gone – the severity of which Tenten could only assume, in typical Lee fashion, was considerably exaggerated – to their organized search this afternoon, culminating in Tsunade's summons. While Lee probed her for answers, Tenten promised an explanation only after Neji had arrived.

Neji, in fact, arrived mere moments later, opening the door with a nearly imperceptible sense of panicked urgency. As he stepped across the threshold, his eyes immediately found Tenten, and he froze. His eyes widened just the slightest bit, then returned to their normal state as he entered the room and stood before the Hokage's desk, saying nothing.

For Neji, that might as well have been the equivalent of all Lee's gushing and sobbing.

Tsunade walked into the office and surveyed the three of them, examining each of their faces before she opened her mouth.

"May I ask what in the world happened to the two of you?" She gestured offhandedly to Lee and Neji, leaning back in her chair to wait for an explanation.

Tenten took the opportunity to really look at her teammates. While she supposed some part of her brain had registered their less-than-pristine states, she hadn't really taken the time to _look_ at them.

Lee's jumpsuit was worn in places, like he had been scaling a cliff barehanded. His sandals were caked in mud, dirt and some other unidentifiable substances, and his normally perfectly round hair was disheveled. When he shifted his head, she noticed a small twig snagged just above his ear.

On her other side, Neji, while decidedly less unkempt, still looked unusually weary. The most obvious signs were the veins pulsating wildly in his temple. Judging from their prominence, Tenten was surprised he had even been able to recognize her when he walked in – at this point, he was probably only able to see blurred shapes.

The silence stretched, as Lee looked nervously away from the Hokage's desk, and Neji maintained his aloof demeanor. Tsunade stared them down, but neither would budge.

Tenten heaved an exasperated sigh.

"If you _baka_ won't tell her, I will. Tsunade-sama, these idiots were apparently under the impression that I'd gotten it into my head to run away on a _leg I can barely walk on._"

Even Neji looked slightly cowed. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, and her face twitched with what looked to be amusement.

"So they've spent the past few hours scouring the village and surrounding areas, trying to find me."

"Where _were_ you?" The quiet accusation came from Tenten's left, and she turned, surprised. Had she imagined the hurt in Neji's voice?

"I have to admit, Tenten," Tsunade said, her tapping her fingers on the desk, "I'm also interested. You've only been in my office for the past half-hour. Where have you been?"

Tenten frowned. She really didn't want to say in front of her teammates, but then again, she also didn't want to lie to the Hokage.

"I…" She hesitated. "Well, you know the cave network behind the Hokage monument? I—"

Tsunade held up a hand, not allowing her to go any further. Leaning forward, she stared at Tenten incredulously.

"You're telling me you got all the way up to the caves on _that _leg, after just having been released from the hospital?" The older woman put a hand over her face, shaking her head. Tenten could have sworn she heard her mumble something that sounded distinctly like '_damn children thinking they're invincible…_'

"I didn't say it was easy," Tenten offered reluctantly, though that didn't seem to make Tsunade any happier.

"Continue," Tsunade drawled, resignation dripping from her tone.

"I go up there a lot when I need to think things over. Lee and I…"

Tenten looked over at him. His eyes were still puffy, and it looked as though tears were threatening to fall again.

"Lee and I had a talk, and he pointed out some things I hadn't noticed. I needed time to process."

She heard Lee release the breath he had been holding and she smiled slightly. As much as their argument had upset her, there was no sense in airing their grievances in front of the Hokage or holding a grudge, especially where Lee was concerned. It was like trying to stay mad at an adorable – and slightly slobbery – puppy.

"And then you came here?" Tsunade prompted.

Tenten nodded succinctly. "About an hour ago, I left the caves and headed here to talk to you, Tsunade-sama. I'm really surprised Lee didn't see me walking back."

If gazes had been daggers, Neji would have had Lee skewered to the wall.

"Well then," Tsunade sat up in her chair, folding her hands across the desk. "I guess it's down to business then. Lee, Neji, I called the two of you here because your teammate has brought a proposal to my attention, and I think it would be beneficial to your team."

She slid a file across the desk. Neji picked it up and began to scan over the paper.

"While I've been lenient with your assignments while Tenten is in recovery, I think we have both come to the determination that it's about time your team was back out doing missions."

Lee began to protest, but Tenten laid a silencing hand on his shoulder. Neji remained as stoic as ever.

"However, since Tenten is not sufficiently recovered, I'll be instituting a replacement member for your team. His information is in the file I just gave you."

Lee was finally able to speak, his lower lip quivering. "But what about our youthful blossom?"

Tenten gave a faint smile. "I need the recovery time, Lee. While I appreciate the help you and Neji have given me, I think I'd do better working through things by myself for a little while. If…" She faltered, her mouth quavering under the weight of the word, "… if I'm going to come back as a healthy member of our team, I need to figure out a way to get this injury under control."

From the other side of the room, Neji closed the folder. Tenten glanced over at him, but he didn't look at her. He didn't bother handing it to Lee either, instead replacing the file on the desk.

"Will that be all, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade stared at the Hyuuga genius, then glanced over to Tenten, who confirmed her suspicion. Something was wrong.

"Yes, if there are no questions." She answered cautiously.

With an inscrutable nod, Neji swept out the door.

Tenten stared between the Hokage and the door, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Tsunade waved a lazy hand at the door.

"I'm not the best person to ask for advice, but I'd be inclined to think you ought to go after him."

Tenten was out the door as fast as she could go, hobbling on her crutches. Lee stuck his head out of the door, clearly unsure what to do.

"Neji!" She cursed as she stumbled, causing Lee to exclaim how un-youthful such a statement was. At the moment, Tenten really couldn't care less. "He can't have gotten that far. Neji!"

She barreled down the hallway, barely hesitating when she reached the stairs.

That, unsurprisingly, was a mistake.

Tenten had barely made it to the third step when her crutch hit empty air and she found herself tumbling forward. She tried to ignore the pain in her leg as it scraped down a flight of stairs.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, she came to a halt.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" A familiar voice hissed. As she straightened up and disentangled herself from the pair of arms that were holding her upright, Tenten was met with the familiar accusatory stare of one Neji Hyuuga.

"Well, if you hadn't bolted out of the Hokage's office, I wouldn't have had to run after you!" She snapped.

"You didn't have to run after me at all!" Neji bit back. "However, since you apparently possess the ability to recover while continuing to constantly exacerbate your injuries, you might as well!"

Tenten stared at him, agog. The veins in his head were now pulsating more rapidly than she'd ever seen them, even when he had been recovering from his battle after the mission to retrieve Sasuke. Pushing the argument aside, she limped forward, putting a hand to his temple.

"Neji…" She ran her fingers over the area, feeling every bulge where the veins seemed to be threatening to burst through the skin. He must have pushed the Byakugan well past its limits, doing… what? Searching for her? "Neji, you need to go home and rest."

"Did it ever occur to you that that was what I was doing before you came dashing after me and I had to stop you from adding a broken neck to your list of ailments?" He murmured tiredly, pulling her fingers away from his temple. Handing her back her crutch, he turned and began to walk again.

"Neji…" She hobbled to catch up with him, putting a hand on his shoulder, both to immobilize him and to steady herself. Her leg was still throbbing from the fall.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, and making you carry me to the hospital, and for calling you and Lee idiots. Though, I have to admit, you two did go a little overboard…" She risked a small grin, hoping he would share in the joke. Her efforts went unrewarded.

"It's fine." He muttered. Removing her hand gently from his shoulder, he moved forward again.

"Neji?"

"Hn?"

"Thank you."

He shrugged, disappearing into the night.

* * *

_A/N: Hello, dear readers! Hope you're all having a marvelous day. _

_I also hope the way I went with this wasn't too disappointing. I considered the more dramatic route quite a bit, but I thought back to the way I'd begun this story, and it was meant to be funny, on some level. So I thought I'd get back to that with the resolution of Tenten's disappearance. _

_Thanks to _McKazekage, Ami1010, pusa-is-me _(And by the way, if you aren't reading the story Scars and Stitches, go do it. It's amazing!)_, FruitySmell, touch-the-sound, AceAmi, MiraAi, Dancing-Souls, Kratos Wilder, Animorphs007, _and_ steenta112 _for your reviews! You all are so supportive and amazing. _

_Happy reading! _

_- Senka_


End file.
